Sylvia
About the Play
Greg and Kate have moved to Manhattan after twenty-two years of child-raising in the suburbs. Greg’s career as a financial trader is winding down, while Kate’s career, as a public-school English teacher, is beginning to offer her more opportunities. Greg brings home a dog he found in the park—or that has found him—bearing only the name “Sylvia” on her name tag. A street-smart mixture of Lab and poodle, Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. She offers Greg an escape from the frustrations of his job and the unknowns of middle age. To Kate, Sylvia becomes a rival for affection. And Sylvia thinks Kate just doesn’t understand the relationship between man and dog. The marriage is put in serious jeopardy until, after a series of hilarious and touching complications, Greg and Kate learn to compromise, and Sylvia becomes a valued part of their lives.
Sylvia is produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
“If Sylvia didn’t exist, you would have had to invent her”, Leslie tells Greg. We all need some-one with whom we can share our dreams and our discontentment; someone who helps us get in touch with what is real. And if that soul mate happens to be an adoring, adorable mutt…well…anyone with a pet can tell you that happens! I love the way this play looks at reconnecting and reordering the lives of the characters in a delightfully whimsical way. I hope you’ll enjoy our production of Sylvia as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. – Kathleen Denkewalter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Welcome to North Vancouver Community Players’ production of Sylvia. What a wonderful way to lighten your spirits in the rainy, dreary days of February! We hope that you will leave Hendry Hall this evening with a smile on your face and a happy feeling! If you would like to join into the fun on and off stage, please check out our website North Van Community Players under the section Volunteer. We would love to have you aboard! – Fran Heaney
| Character | Played by |
| Greg | Francis Boyle |
| Sylvia | Starlise Waschuk |
| Kate | Colleen Byberg |
| Tom, Phyllis, Leslie | Mitchell Mackay |
| Director | Kathleen Denkewalter |
| Production Manager | Rosemary Hundal |
| Author | A.R. Gurney |
| Stage Manager | Amanda Froud |
| Set Designer | Peter Zednik |
| Set Construction | Marty Smith, and Bob Martin |
| Set Decorators / Painters | Solanges Santerre, Carolyn Coles, Peter Zednik, Mitchell Mackay, Kathleen Denkewalter, and Rosemary Hundal |
| Properties | Solanges Santerre, Carolyn Coles, and Shelley Smith |
| Lighting Designer | Simon Drake |
| Sound Designers | Peter Zednik |
| Lighting and Sound Operator | Sandy Branning |
| Special Projections | Peter Zednik |
| Projections Operators | Linda Butterworth, and Clare Froud |
| Costumes | Mitchell Mackay, Karin Bews, and Sharon Alexander |
| Make-Up | Leslie Whittaker |
| Graphic Artist | Linda Sharp |
| Publicity and Program | Anne Marsh, and Pam Kearns |
| Front-of-House Coordinator | Mary Gray |
| Opening Night Catering/Decoration | Judith Barkley White, and Beatrijs Brett |
| Box Office | Sue Worrow |
| Photographer | Damon Calderwood |
| Videographer | Paul Paterson |
| Original Performance Dates | February 2 to 17, 2018 |
| Venue | The Theatre at Hendry Hall, North Vancouver, BC |
| Production Length | 1 hour and 40 minutes |
| Production Style | Comedy |
| Special Thanks To | Trevor Nuttall of 10net Managed Solutions Ltd., Rona Paints, and Clive Sanders |
| Kathleen Denkewalter | Director – Kathleen has worked in all areas of community theatre for over 30 years. She wrote and directed two children’s plays, The Snow Globe and Scrooge and Marley. Some other directing credits include Rumors by Neil Simon, The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck and Three Days of Rain by Richard Greenberg, which won the award for Best Production at the 2010 Theatre BC North Shore Zone Festival of Plays. She thanks the cast, crew, and production team of this show for their hard work, dedication and creative input. It has been a delight working on Sylvia with such a great team. |
| Francis Boyle | Greg – Francis is happy to be back working with NVCP for the second time since playing Emil in Three Viewings (2014). Since then Francis has preformed in a number of productions, including: Neils Bohr in Copenhagen (Aenigma Theatre), Jim Fenner in Bad Girls (Dramanatrix and a CTC Nominee – Best Actor), Alex in Facing East (FCP), Larry in Company (United Players), and Ray in Blackbird at the Vancouver Fringe Festival (Aenigma Theatre). Francis would like to dedicate this performance to the two lovely ladies in his life, his wife Cherie and their dog Mila. Enjoy the show! |
| Colleen Byberg | Kate – Colleen is overjoyed to be treading the boards with NVCP. Heartfelt thanks to our wonderful director Kathleen as well as to Francis, Starlise, Mitchell and all of our crew for their talents, patience, laughter and love in bringing the show together. Credits include: Twelfth Night (Emerald Pig); Marion Bridge and Ten Times Two (Deep Cove Stage); Fiddler on the Roof (Royal City Musical Theatre); I Hate Hamlet (White Rock Players); Return Engagements (Vagabond Players) and Late Entry (Blind Mice Theatre). Colleen sends love to John for his enduring support, and for being the kind of man who really can’t walk past a dog anywhere, without stopping to pet it. Enjoy the show! |
| Starlise Waschuk | Sylvia – Starlise is just giddy to be portraying the Labradoodle Sylvia. Theatre has been a big part of her life for over a decade, and it’s not the first time she has played an animal—she was a sheep in A Winter’s Tale a Musical. She wants to thank the wonderful community of North Vancouver Community Players for this memorable experience and for everyone’s loving hard work. “Be the person your dog thinks you are!” JW Stephens. |
| Mitchell Mackay | Tom/Phyllis/Leslie – A devoted denizen of Hendry Hall, Mitchell has appeared in many productions including Nurse Jane Goes to Hawaii, The Murder Room and many a Christmas Panto, almost always wearing a dress – tonight being no exception. Mitchell is thrilled to be playing not one, not two, but three roles in Sylvia. Although often accused of hogging the stage, Mitchell has never been bold enough to try playing three characters in one play, and he would like you to know it was A.R. Gurney’s idea not his. See if you can guess which head of hair is his own and which is a wig! |